Case and other container for cigarettes



Aug. 24, 1937. R. F. POWER CASE AND OTHER CONTAINER FOR CEEGARETTES Filed Jan. 14, 1956 2 Sheeizs-Sheet 1 Fig. 2. Fig.3.

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CASE AND OTHER CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 7.

Vllii Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITE STAS CASE AND OTHER CQNTAINER FOR CIGARETTES Richard Fitz Power, London, England 16 Claims.

This invention relates to cases and other containers for cigarettes and has for its object to provide an improved form of case, simple and cheap to manufacture, not likely to get out of order, and which can be operated to produce a single cigarette from a row sothat the cigarette can be easily removed from the case.

A cigarette case according to the present invention having means for removing a cigarette from the end of a row of cigarettes and advanc ing the cigarette through an apertured wall of the case and holding that cigarette in advanced position so that it can easily be removed fromv the case, wherein the cigarette is supported in the advanced position on a shoulder or detent engaging the end of the cigarette normally supported on the bottom of the case. Means may also be provided for lightly holding the cigarette in the advanced position by gripping the sides of thecigarette by oppositely disposed edges of openings in a tray or lid.

In one form of construction according to the present invention a cigarette case comprises in a wall to the side of the cigarettes a shoulder or resilient detent spaced froma. wall in the case supporting the ends of the cigarettes, and an apertured wall opposite to said supporting wall, and slidable means formed to engage the end of a cigarette juxtaposed to the shoulder or detent to remove it from the supporting wall on to the shoulder or detent whereby the other end of the projected cigarette is correspondingly disposed in advance of its original position and is thereby segregated for, easy removal.

Preferably the case comprises a lid slidable lengthwise of the cigarettes and having a depending finger to engage and displace a cigarette axially.

The depending finger may be a rigid abutm'ent member or a resilient finger to engage the end of a cigaretteor the finger may be in the form of a pin carried on a resilient member to be projected into the cigarette at the expense of straining the resilient member, which pin releases itself from the cigarette when pressure: is

removed from the resilient member.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows one form of construction of tray;

Figure 2 shows a view of the left-hand end of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 shows a view looking at the right-hand 5 end of Fig. 1;

(Cl. fwd-41) Figure 4 shows a plan view of a lid for the tray in Fig. 1;

Figure 5 shows a View of Figure i looking fro-m the left;

Figure 6 shows a modified form of tray;

Figure 7 shows a left-hand View of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 shows a section on the line VIII- VIII of Fig. 6;

Figures 9 and 10 show modifications.

In the various figures the like references designate the same or similar parts.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, which show a construction suitable for forming the cigarette case by moulding processes e. g., in. that material sold on the market under the registered trade-mark Bakelite, the cigarette case comprises a tray i including a. peripheral wall 2, 3, i, 5 a shoulder 6 projecting from the wall 5 at the side of the cigarettes i, and an aperture 8 in the wall 3, and a sliding lid 9 (Fig. 4) adapted to fit over the tray l, having a finger iii dis posed to engage a cigarette juxtaposed to the shoulder 6 to project this cigarette through the aperture 8. The lid 9 is provided with flanges H for engaging with the walls 3, 5 of the tray i and with a flange 2 for overlapping the wall i so as normally to close the aperture 8, against cigarettes falling out.

The aperture 8 is preferably removed from the side wall 5 so that a cigarette is projected in a manner to permit free finger and thumb engagement, that is to say, there is no objection to the movement of disposing the finger and thumb, one to each side of the cigarette with a view to gripping the latter and removing it from thecase.

If desired the lid flange i2 may be provided with an aperture E3 in offset relation to the aperture 8 so that a cigarette !6 which has been projected is lodged between one boundary wall it of the aperture 8 and the opposite boundary wall E5 of the aperture it, which boundary walls engage the cigarette on opposite sides in planes parallel to the wall t.

It will, however, be understood that the aperture l3 may be so dimensioned and disposed that the lid 9 may be returned to its normal position after projecting a cigarette so that the cigarette projects through the lid flange l2 after the lid has been closed.

In order to lead a cigarette to the aperture 8 as the lid 9 is slid to project a cigarette a tongue ii is bent inwardly to provide a lead which directs the cigarette to the aperture. In use the box may be tilted to cause the cigarette it to lie against tongue I! and then the lid slid over the box so that tongue lfi projects the cigarette through aperture 8 until the inner end has passed by 5 which being behind will then hold 5 the cigarette projected whether or not the lid is returned.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8, particularly suitable for boxes formed from sheet metal or other sheet material,

10 the wall 5 of the tray l is slit transversely at E8 and longitudinally at E9. conveniently where the wall meets the bottom of the tray, to form a resilient tongue or abutment 20 disposed in advance of the wall 2.

The wall 4- is provided with an aperture 8 slightly removed from the side wall 5, this aperture being formed by slitting the wall 4 transversely and longitudinally where it meets the bottom of the tray to form a tongue I! which is bent inwardly to provide a lead which directs a cigarette It to the aperture 8.

The side walls 3, 5 are provided with ribs 2! with which engage grooves such as 22 (Fig. '5) provided in the flanges H of the lid 3, so as to guide the lid e as it is slid across the tray Alternatively, the side walls 3, 5 may be provided with grooves and the flanges H with ribs.

The finger ii) at the rear of the lid 9 enters the tray I through an aperture 23 in the wall 2 of the tray so that a cigarette may be rolled on to the finger iii and the relative movement between the lid 9 and the tray l projects a cigarette l6 through the aperture 8 in the tray I and disposes the cigarette on the lid for easy 5 removal, being tilted away from the side wall ll of the lid 9. Instead of feeding a cigarette to the finger by gravity one or more springs such as 24 may be provided in the known manner which bear against a plate 25, or a bowed blade spring may be disposed on the wall 3 and connected to the plate 25 as will be easily understood in the art.

In the projected position. the end of the cigarette [6 within the tray 1, whichever construc- 5 tion is employed, is caught by the detent 2B or shoulder 6 and thus prevented from returning by axial displacement.

The apertures 8, 3 are so arranged that the lid may be returned to its closed position in ef- 5 feet being threaded over the cigarette it after the latter has been projected from the tray so that the case is closed and the cigarette is rest ing on the shoulder E5 or detent 2G.

The projecting cigarette may then be removed easily by hand or with the mouth.

When the cigarette has been removed the flange I2 of the lid 8 prevents another cigarette coming out of the case unless and until it has been disposed on the shoulder B or detent 28 as above described.

As shown in Fig. 9 the finger is in the form of a pin 27 carried by a resilient member 28 secured to the lid 9. This pin is adapted to be projected into the cigarette at the expense of straining the resilient member 23. When the pressure is removed from the resilient member 28 the pin releases itself from the cigarette.

Whilst the invention has been describe-d above in connection with cases in which cigarettes are 70 arranged in a row it will be understood that the invention may also be applied to cases in which cigarettes are retained in a bundle or in a plurality of rows. An arrangement as applied to cigarettes in a bundle is shown in Fig. 10. In

75 this case the tray 29 is of semi-circular cross section and is provided on one side with a recess 30 to accommodate a cigarette I 6. This cigarette is moved on to a shoulder 6 by relative movement of a lid as described in the preceding examples. The lid is mounted on the tray 29 in the same manner as described above.

When the cigarettes are arranged ina plurality of rows the construction is on the same lines as shown in Fig. 10, a recess or housing such as 3i] in Fig. 10 being provided in the case for one cigarette at a time.

Cases according to the present invention may be formed of moulded material, for example, that material known under the registered trademark Bakelite or other plastic composition, celluloid or the like or may be made in sheet material. The tray and the lid are preferably drawn from the sheet material.

The cases may also be made from cardboard and may be used as a carton or container in which cigarettes are sold as well as a permanent cigarette case.

The present invention comprises not only the cigarette case as described but the means of projecting the cigarette from a case incorporated in an ornament, articles of furniture or other commodities, for example, a ladys handbag or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette case including means for en gaging a cigarette at the end of a row of cigarettes in said case and partly projecting said cigarette from said case, through an apertured wall thereof and means for supporting said cigarette in its partly projected position, wherein the means for holding the cigarette in the partly I projected position comprise a projection located inside said case, said projection engaging with the inner end of said cigarette.

2. In a cigarette case, means for removing a cigarette from the end of a row of cigarettes in said case, said means advancing said cigarette and for holding the same in a position projecting from said case so as to enable said cigarette to be removed easily including gripping elements associated with said case, said gripping elements lightly gripping the sides of the said cigarette in its projecting position and a projection located in said casing, said projection engaging with the in nor end of the cigarette in the projected position.

3. In a cigarette case, means for removing a cigarette from the end of a row of cigarettes in said case, said means advancing said cigarettes and for holding the same in a position projecting from said case so as to enable said cigarette to be removed easily including a projection located inside said case, said projection engaging the inner end of the cigarette in the projected position.

4. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection located intermediate the ends of the side wall adjacent said aperture, and slidable means adjacent said last mentioned side, said slidable means being adapted to engage the end of a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as to project said cigarette partly from said aperture and to engage its inner end in said projection.

5. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection located intermediate the ends of the side Wall adjacent said aperture, a lid mounted for sliding movement on said case lengthwise of cigarettes contained in said case, and a depending element on said lid, said depending element being adapted to engage with a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as to project said cigarette partly from said aperture by moving it axially and engaging the inner end thereof with said projection.

6. A cigarette case according to claim wherein said depending element is in the form of a rigid abutment member.

7. A cigarette case according to claim 5 wherein said depending element is in the form of a depending resilient finger.

8. A cigarette case according to claim 5 wherein said depending element is in the form of a resilient member, and a pin depending therefrom.

9. A cigarette case according to claim 5 includ ing a flange on said lid, said flange overlapping said aperture when said lid is in the normally closed position so as to close said aperture.

10. In a cigarette case, means for removing a cigarette from the end of a row of cigarettes in said case, said means advancing said cigarette and for holding the same in a position projecting from said case through an apertur-ed wall thereof so as to enable said cigarette to be removed easily, wherein said aperture is removed from the adjacent side wall so that the cigarette is projected in such a manner as to enable said cigarette to be readily engaged.

11. A cigarette case according to claim 5 including a flange on said lid, said flange having an aperture therein, said last mentioned aperture being offset relatively to the aperture in the end wall.

12. A cigarette case according to claim 5 including a flange on said lid, said flange having an aperture therein, said last mentioned aperture being ofi'set relatively to the aperture in the end wall, said apertures being so arranged relatively to one another as to enable the lid to be returned to the normal position after projecting a cigarette.

13. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection located intermediate the ends of the side wall adjacent said aperture, a lid mounted for sliding movement on said case lengthwise of cigarettes contained in said case, and a depending element on said lid, said depending element being adapted to engage with a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as to project said cigarette partly from said aperture by moving it axially and engaging the inner end thereof with said projection, and means for leading a cigarette to said aperture as it is bein moved into its projected position.

14. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection located intermediate the ends of the side wall adjacent said aperture, a lid mounted for sliding movement on said case lengthwise of cigarettes contained in said case, and a depending element on said lid, said depending element being adapted to engage with a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as to project said cigarette partly from said aperture by moving it axially and engaging the inner end thereof with said projection, and spring means for moving a cigarette into position for projection.

15. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection located intermediate the ends of the side wall adjacent said aperture, a lid mounted for sliding movement on. said case lengthwise of cigarettes contained in said case, and a depending element on said lid, said depending element being adapted to engage with a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as toproject said cigarette partly from said aperture by moving it axially and engaging the inner end thereof with said pr jection, and side flanges on said lid, said side" flanges engaging said side walls.

16. A cigarette case comprising a base, two end walls and two side walls connected to said base, one of said end walls having an aperture therein towards one end thereof, a projection. located intermediate the ends of the side wall adjacent said aperture, a lid mounted for sliding movement on said case lengthwise of cigarettes contained in said case, and a depending element on said lid, said depending element being adapted to engage with a cigarette juxtaposed to said projection so as to project said cigarette partly from said aperture by moving it axially and engaging the inner end thereof with said projection, and side flanges on said lid, said side flanges engaging said side walls and co-operating ribs and grooves on said side walls and side flanges.

RICHARD FITZ POWER- 

